This holiday season I continue to look at the SAIPE numbers from the Census bureau for trends in median income and poverty in 2022. The graph above shows the trend in median income for Cambria County from 1997-2022. It compares the county rate to the Pennsylvania and U.S. rates. Pennsylvania’s income level is virtually identical to the U.S. level. Median income means that it’s the income level that would be in the middle if all the incomes in a county were ranked from highest to lowest.
In 2005, the gap between Cambria County’s median income ($34,258) and the U.S.’s ($46,242) was $11,984. In 2022, the gap was $20,143 with $54,612 for Cambria and $74,755 for the U.S. By comparison, the poverty rates for the U.S. and Cambria County were 13.3% and 13.5% respectively. In 2022, the rates were 16.2% for Cambria and 12.6% for the U.S. The rise in the poverty rate for Cambria corresponds to the growing median income gap. Cambria County will be compared to the other counties in the previous post.
Blair County
As seen in the above graph, Blair County’s and Cambria County’s income levels were virtually identical in 2005. By 2022, it was $57,884 for Blair County and $54,612 for Cambria, a gap of $3,272.
The poverty rate in 2005 was 14.0% for Blair which was slightly higher than Cambria’s (13.5%). In 2022, it was 13.1% for Blair and 16.2% for Cambria. Rising income for Blair corresponds to the decrease in their poverty rate.
Centre County
The above graph shows the trend in median income for Centre and Cambria Counties. In 2005, the median income was $39,036 for Centre and $34,258 for Cambria, a gap of $4,778. By 2022, the median income was $67,654 for Centre which was $13,042 higher than Cambria’s. Centre County still lags behind the U.S. median income by $7,101.
Compared to the poverty estimates, Centre County had a poverty rate of 20.1% in 2005 with was 6.5% higher than Cambria’s. In 2022, Centre County’s rate was 16.0% which was virtually identical to Cambria’s (16.2%). The higher poverty level in Centre County relative to the U.S. and Pennsylvania with the increase in income suggests growing income gaps between rich and poor there.
Indiana County
Median incomes in Indiana and Cambria Counties were virtually identical in 2005 at $32,898 and $34,258 respectively, a gap of $1,360. In 2022 they were still virtually identical at $53,040 and $54,612 respectively, a gap of $1,572. This is a negligible change in income gaps.
In 2005, the poverty rate for Indiana County was 16.7% compared to 13.5% for Cambria. By 2022, these rates were almost reversed with a rate of 14.0% for Indiana and 16.2% for Cambria. The change in poverty rates for both counties could be due to smaller populations in both counties creating more uncertainty in the estimates.
Somerset County
In 2005, Somerset County’s median income was $33,665 which was virtually identical to Cambria’s ($34,258). In 2022, a gap developed between the two counties income levels with Somerset at $50,516 and Cambria at $54,612. The gap between the counties in 2022 was $4,096 while it was $593 in 2005.
Poverty rates in 2005 were 13.3% for Somerset and 13.5% for Cambria. In 2022, The rate was 14.3% for Somerset and 16.2% in Cambria. The risingn gap in income
Clearfield County
Clearfield County is the last one we are considering. In 2005, their median income was $32,951 while in Cambria it was $34,258. This gives a gap of $1,307. In 2022, Clearfield’s median income was $59,318 while in Cambria it was $54,612 giving a gap of $4,706.
A similar trend in the poverty rate was seen for Clearfield compared to Cambria County. In 2005, Clearfield’s rate was 15.5% which was 2% higher than Cambria’s. By 2022, the rate had decreased to 11.7% compared to 16.2% in Cambria. Clearfield’s rate in 2022 is the only one considered that was lower than the U.S. and Pennsylvania rates.
Conclusion
The trend in median income and poverty reveals how the area Income is redistributed among different strata. The rise in income and decrease in poverty in Clearfield could be due to the high presence of natural gas fracking wells there and in the more western counties . There has been a rise in wells in the western counties since 2020 (seen in the map below. Next I will look at poverty rates in local school districts.
